(BasketballBuzz) – Canada’s Junior Men’s National Team faced the difficult task of having to go through the number one ranked team in the World in the last Quarter-Final game of the 2013 FIBA World Championships, a hurdle that has proved difficult over the years, and tonight was no different.

The United States of America improved to 7-0 in Prague, Czech Republic with a comfortable 109-67 victory over their North American neighbors.

Canada opened up the game extremely confident after finding out that Trey Lyles (19 points, 8 rebounds) wasn’t going to play due to a sustained ankle injury that didn’t recover in time for the highly expected match-up.

Without Lyles in the line-up, Florida State commit Xavier Rathan-Mayes carried the scoring load for the Canadians with 14 first-half points to help keep Canada in the game despite shooting an unheard of 3-of-11 from the foul line. Canada trailed 30-22 after the first-quarter and was down by 15 points at 53-38 during the half-time break.

Canada went a dismal 8-for-20 from the free-throw line in the first-half and stuck around thanks to Head coach Roy Rana’s decision to switch to a 2-3 zone, limiting Team USA’s interior advantage. Outside of the terrible foul shooting and few late turnovers, Canada’s energy was positive.

Oklahoma State’s Marcus smarted wasted and the Americans wasted no time in the third quarter by outscoring Canada 31-12 while stretching the lead 84-50 after three-quarters.

Syracuse’s incoming freshmen Tyler Ennis never found his rhythm and finished with just 12 points on 4-of-12 shots. The tournament’s second leading scorer was forced to the bench in the opening quarter with two early fouls and never recovered. Other Canadians in double-figures included Agunwa Okolie with 13 points and six rebounds.

Team USA overpowered the Canadians inside with seven players in double-figures, Marcus Smart led the way with 14 points, while 6’10 center Jahlil Okafor did what he wanted inside and added 12 points and a game-high 8 rebounds. Arizona Wildcats Aaron Gordon came off the bench and was also productive with 12 points and five rebounds.

Canada finished the game shooting 13-of-28, (46%) from the free-throw line while the Americans connect on 72% of their freebies at 18-of-25. Team USA pounded Canada on the glass 51-27 and forced 19 turnovers in the route. The largest of the game was 43 points at 102-59.

Canada (3-4) still has opportunity to improve on their best ever finish (7th) at a FIBA U19 World Championship as they will now take on China (3-4) for the opportunity to claim a 5th-8th spot. The USA is one step closer to reaching the finals and will take on defending Champions Lithuania in the second semi-final. The other game will feature Australia against Serbia for a spot in the Finals.

For the past twenty-plus (20) years starving Canadian basketball fans across the country have asked for more International sanctioned games on home soil.

Finally, it looks like those requests are materializing.

With the upcoming kick-off to the newly formatted road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the 2019 Americas Qualifiers taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia will satisfy and quench the thirst of long-time East coast supporters of the National game.

A young, 25th-ranked Canadian squad will take on 59th ranked Bahamas, in a important Group D qualify game at the Scotiabank Centre.

Led by former number one pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, Anthony Bennett (Northern Arizona, G-League), the roster features a strong young crop of former Usports All-Canadians and NCAA Division I standouts. Additionally, a further testimony to the growth of Canadian University Basketball, Ryerson Rams head coach Roy Rana, headlines the coaching staff alongside Carleton Ravens coach Dave Smart.

Point guard duties will be handled by Olivier Hanlan, Phil Scrubb and Kaza Kajami-Keane. The latter two having won multiple Usports basketball championships under the tutelage of Smart. Three-point specialist Brady Heslip and along side confident Xavier Rathan-Mayes will look to fill it up for the outside. The front court will anchored by 6’8″ Anthony Bennett, Thomas Scrubb, (another Ravens All-Canadian) and former Acadia Axemen 6’10” Owen Klassen (Kingston, ON).

Overall the roster looks solid, given the lack of availability of Canada’s top talent due to changes in the qualifying format, and the NBA’s willingness to move aside and grant FIBA the release of its players, regardless of nationality for the World Cup qualifying periods.

Placed in Group D alongside Virgin Islands, Bahamas and Dominican Republic. The young Canadians will play a home and away series against each team. After the Bahamas game, Canada will fly out to the Dominican Republic for a stern road test on November 28, 2017 to wrap up the opening qualifying window. The second qualifier will take in late February with Canada once again hitting the road for games against the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. The third qualifying window will see Canada host two more games on home soil on June 29 and July 2, 2018.

Canada is coming off a mediocre performance at the FIBA Americup dropping games to Virgin Islands 83-71, Argentina 92-86 with its only win against a tough Venezuela 75-66 team that denied the Canadians an Olympics appearance in Rio 2016.

Angola’s Silvio de Sousa beastly 27 points, 21 rebounds against Korea

Angola’s 18-year old Silvio de Sousa (6’9″, 240lbs) power forward is one of the rising stars of Angolan and African Basketball.

In his last FIBA U19 game in Cairo, De Sousa beasted Korea with 27 points and 21 rebounds as Angola closed-out the 2017 World Cup with a 55-53 win.

De Sousa, a bruising forward is the best polished Angolan Basketball player ever at this age and averaged a double-double at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup in Egypt, Cairo with 17.3 points per game (3rd), 13.1 rebounds (1st), 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals.

The 2018 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) four star recruit holds NCAA Basketball Division I offers from Florida, Louisville, Maryland, LSU and many others and currently represents Angola’s best chance at a future first round and potential NBA pick.